Abstract
An active microbial assemblage cycles sulfur in a sulfate-rich, ancient marine brine beneath Taylor Glacier, an outlet glacier of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, with Fe(III) serving as the terminal electron acceptor. Isotopic measurements of sulfate, water, carbonate, and ferrous iron and functional gene analyses of adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate reductase imply that a microbial consortium facilitates a catalytic sulfur cycle. These metabolic pathways result from a limited organic carbon supply because of the absence of contemporary photosynthesis, yielding a subglacial ferrous brine that is anoxic but not sulfidic. Coupled biogeochemical processes below the glacier enable subglacial microbes to grow in extended isolation, demonstrating how analogous organic-starved systems, such as Neoproterozoic oceans, accumulated Fe(II) despite the presence of an active sulfur cycle.
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Dates
Type | When |
---|---|
Created | 16 years, 4 months ago (April 16, 2009, 4:53 p.m.) |
Deposited | 1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 10, 2024, 4:58 a.m.) |
Indexed | 1 month, 4 weeks ago (June 26, 2025, 2:01 a.m.) |
Issued | 16 years, 4 months ago (April 17, 2009) |
Published | 16 years, 4 months ago (April 17, 2009) |
Published Print | 16 years, 4 months ago (April 17, 2009) |
@article{Mikucki_2009, title={A Contemporary Microbially Maintained Subglacial Ferrous “Ocean”}, volume={324}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1167350}, DOI={10.1126/science.1167350}, number={5925}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Mikucki, Jill A. and Pearson, Ann and Johnston, David T. and Turchyn, Alexandra V. and Farquhar, James and Schrag, Daniel P. and Anbar, Ariel D. and Priscu, John C. and Lee, Peter A.}, year={2009}, month=apr, pages={397–400} }